Four arrested in series of armed robberies
A series of armed robbery calls kept Amarillo police officers busy across the city early Sunday morning.
Five individuals were detained with four booked into local law enforcement facilities. The fifth was released pending further investigation, according to a news release from APD.
At 3:35 a.m., APD officers were called to the 5400 block of Amarillo Boulevard East on a call of robbery at gunpoint. The victim said that two Hispanic males pulled a gun on him and took his white Toyota Avalon. The victim was uninjured, according to the release.
At 4:09 a.m., officers were called to the 1200 block of South Grand Street on another call of robbery by gunpoint. The victim said that three Hispanic males pulled a gun on him and demanded his Chevrolet Avalanche. The suspects took the vehicle and left south on Grand Street, the release states.
Video of the incident showed the three males exiting a white vehicle, similar to what was taken in the first robbery, before taking the victim's vehicle and both cars driving away.
At 6:58 a.m., officers were called to a convenience store in the 5000 block of East Interstate 40 on another armed robbery call. Three males entered the store and pulled a gun on the cashier, according to police.
The males took miscellaneous items and an undisclosed amount of money from the register and left. Video evidence showed the suspects leaving the scene in a grey Chevrolet Trailblazer, the release states.
At 7:30 a.m., an APD officer located the stolen Chevrolet Avalanche abandoned in the 900 block of North Whitaker Street.
At 8:08 a.m., an APD officer located the white Toyota Avalon that had been taken in the first robbery. The vehicle was wrecked into a fence at Southeast 10th Street and South Stuart Drive and was then abandoned, according to police.
At 10:25 a.m., an APD officer on patrol at Amarillo Boulevard and Grand Street saw the grey Chevrolet Trailblazer that had been involved in the robbery at the convenience store. The vehicle was stopped at North Fairfield and Sanborn streets. Five people were detained from the vehicle and evidence from the three robberies was located, according to police.
Joseph Leo Cruz, 18, was charged with three counts of aggravated robbery and booked into the Potter County Detention Center.
Sergio Garcia-Gomez, 17, was charged with one count of aggravated robbery and booked into the Potter County Detention Center.
A third adult male was released pending further investigation.
A 16-year-old female was booked into the Youth Center of the High Plains for one count of aggravated robbery.
A 15-year-old male was booked into the Youth Center of the High Plains for violation of probation.
During the investigation detectives found video of a failed robbery attempt by the same suspects in the 5400 block of Amarillo Boulevard East. At 3:29 a.m., the suspects approached a dark-colored Honda car. The driver drove away as the robbery was being attempted, police said.
Detectives ask that the driver of this vehicle reach out to them at (806) 378-9426 or (806) 378-9438 in order to further the investigation.
This article originally appeared on Amarillo Globe-News: Arrests made in series of Amarillo armed robberies
